Comments for

Comment on A President Like Me by Trinity

Trinity — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:15:20 +0000

So… what your saying is, you want a president like your wife!

Comment on A President Like Me by moaudie

moaudie — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:47:55 +0000

I love this post! Delightfully funny yet very articulate and thought provoking!
Love you!!!
Mom

Comment on A President Like Me by court

court — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:24:34 +0000

I wouldn’t either Thomas, you’re the worst fictional president EVER! I mean other than if I were president. I imagine a Court Greene presidency would be much like a Ross Perot (did I spell it right?) presidency. SURE, the world comes to an end… but damnit, it was hilarious to watch.

Comment on Valentines by moaudie

moaudie — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:36:54 +0000

That is the sweetest post I have ever seen you do son, very proud of you and you two look as wonderful together now as then in the early days of enchantment LOVE YOU BOTH!!!

Comment on Valentines by Fred DeFoor

Fred DeFoor — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:46:00 +0000

missing that beautiful smile and that great spirit. Oh…and I’m missing Trinity, too.

Comment on Is There a “Christian Worldview”? by Thomas Whitley

Thomas Whitley — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:59:05 +0000

Good point, Daniel. As you know from our conversations, I do think there are facts and that stating facts is essential. That said, I think stating that the Bible is not a unity and is not harmonious in any historical, literary, or sociological way is a fact. It does very much look like I am making the same mistakes they are. Maybe I am. The main point I wanted to get across, though, is that none of us should be making these types of normative statements.

You are also probably right that my jumping into their conversation is what is causing some of the problem. We are not having the same conversation.

Comment on Is There a “Christian Worldview”? by Daniel W

Daniel W — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:53:34 +0000

“To say that all of the texts in the Bible evidence some sort of “internal unity or harmony” is simply factually wrong and, I think, shows that one doesn’t actually respect this book that they claim to so much.”

And then

“I simply am not interested in determining and defining how a Christian should read the Bible and view the world.”

This seems to me to be a bit inconsistent. There seems to be a very thin line between the assertions you are making and what you are accusing Smith and Evans of doing. They believe there is a correct way of reading the Bible, so they are asserting it, and so are you. But then you are claiming that you aren’t doing that and to do so is wrong.

You are probably right about you and people like Smith and Evans not having the same conversation. Smith is an evangelical Protestant that converted to Catholicism. He fully recognized the plurality of voices in the biblical texts, saw that there are any number of perfectly valid interpretations, and then decided that the only way to maintain any semblance of unity on “essentials” in the church was through some sort of authoritative interpreter. He decided that, for him, this would be the hierarchy of the Catholic church. The fact is, many Christians do see that there are multiple voices in their authoritative text, but they also believe that in order for them to use the entire text to build their worldview and guide their actions, they will need to find some systematic theology or some hermeneutical key that will create some unity. They see the Bible as a collection of texts that are somehow different from other texts. That is an assumption they are working with that you just aren’t working with. You will assert that it is just wrong to treat some texts differently from other texts based on non-scientific or non-historical critical criteria, but they will give you experiential evidence for their conclusions. You and they will simply not agree. However, I don’t think you should assert that they shouldn’t read their text this way, then assert that they are wrong because they are asserting others should read the text in a certain way.

I just like to antagonize you, Thomas.

Comment on Masculine Christianity? by moaudie

moaudie — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:30:59 +0000

Powerful, thoughtful and passionate. Nicely done Son! I love you.
Mom

Comment on Masculine Christianity? by Stacy

Stacy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:24:19 +0000

I choose to keep hoping that the Pipers and Driscolls of this world can be redeemed. It has happened to too many of us to be impossible. Part of it is a work only the Spirit of God can do, but I think we have a role to play as well, in telling the truth as best we know it and (especially those of us who are not “masculine”) living out our callings. Many of the people I know who changed their minds about women in ministry did so because a woman they cared about became one. Thanks as always for your writing, Thomas.

Comment on Bibles are Tax Exempt in Some States by Thomas Whitley

Thomas Whitley — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:49:06 +0000

The pertinent question seems to be who gets to define “religious publications.” The rest of the items listed are specifically Christian.